The chief executive of the technology industry’s peak body has hit out at the government for its handling of proposed changes to rules governing the taxation of employee share options, saying a lack of progress went against pre-election Coalition pledges.

Australian Information Industry Association chief executive Suzanne Campbell said the potential for tech start-ups to provide a future employment and gross domestic product windfall to the country were being stalled by a lack of urgency in Canberra. She questioned why Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Joe Hockey had gone quiet on the issue since pledging action.

Since last year’s federal election, technology entrepreneurs have been urging the Abbott government to follow through on promises to end the ­up-front taxation of employee share options, a policy they say is one of the biggest barriers to Australian tech ­start-ups.

The Labor tax changes were aimed at cracking down on executives who tried to reduce tax by channelling income into share options. But the changes hampered tech start-ups from using options to attract talent instead of paying high salaries in their early years.

Ms Campbell said the issue had sunk into reviews since the election, and the tech industry had been left wondering if anything was happening.

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She said she had received no indication in her role as a tech industry figurehead that any progress was being made.

“I am both surprised and disappointed that the government has still not made any progress on this," Ms Campbell said.

“Both Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey were very public in their support for changes in relation to this legislation in the run-up to the 2013 election. It is a long time ago now and there has been plenty of opportunity for addressing this issue and resolving the discrepancy that exists between the Australian economy and other developed economies."

Ms Campbell’s concerns about the lack of progress in share schemes comes after she was critical of federal budget measures which disbanded Commercialisation Australia and reduced the amount of funding avenues available to early stage start-ups.

She said the government’s Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Program reduced funding, failed to commit to education or research funding and didn’t encourage the risk-taking associated with entrepreneurial companies.

“Currently the focus of the entrepreneur infrastructure program is on sure-shot growth and established winners, rather than on risk takers and innovators," she said.

“The bar is too high for entrepreneurs to get funding and it is not about entrepreneurship, it is really about commercialisation, which is a different thing."

The government has shifted responsibility for the review of share options to the Prime Minister’s office and Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, who will address the issue following the completion of a taskforce into a national industry investment and competitiveness agenda.

The task force was due to make recommendations “mid-2014", but a spokeswoman for Mr Macfarlane said it was still meeting on the issue.

“The task force is considering the full range of issues that impact on the global competitiveness of Australian businesses and Australian industry, as well as key issues that will shape the future of Australian industry," she said. “It’s expected that the National Industry Investment and Competitiveness Agenda will be released in the coming months."

Opposition industry spokesman Kim Carr said Labor was awaiting results of the current inquiry on employee share scheme arrangements.

The founder of Australian start-up Local Measure, Jonathan Barouch, said employee equity schemes were essential, but impossible to administer currently.

“Australia is competing for global talent but the current ESOP [employee stock ownership plan] legislation is making us fight with one hand tied behind our back. American firms are luring our best and brightest engineers with the promise of equity and perks," he said.

“The Liberal party committed prior to the election to reviewing and updating the legislation around ESOPs. It’s baffling to me that legislation still hasn’t been put before Parliament yet."